Use of rare earth metals outstripping supply

The US no longer produces or processes any of the rare earth metals used in …

Those of you who have spent time staring at a periodic table are undoubtedly aware of the large insertions that are typically stuck below the chart, since they'd make the table unreasonably wide otherwise. The top of these two rows is typically called the Lanthanide series, and it contains the rare earth metals, like dysprosium, holmium, and praseodymium. Although these exotic-sounding metals find their way into displays and lasers, they're primarily notable for their use in powerful magnets that appear in everything from electric motors to disk drives. And, according to a new Congressional analysis posted by the Federation of American Scientists' Secrecy News blog, the world is using them up faster than it can produce them.

The report itself doesn't really have much information that couldn't be obtained elsewhere, but it puts it all together in a very readable package. Right now, we're using about 134,000 tons of rare earth metals a year, but mining only 124,000 tons; the difference is made up using ore stocks that have been mined but not yet processed.

Demand is expected to continue to boom, but new mines and processing facilities take on the order of a decade to come online, so supplies are likely to get very tight in the interim. Right now, most of the rare earths are produced in China, but the country has been limiting exports of late, and its domestic demand is expected to outstrip its production sometime in 2012.

Congress is investigating because absolutely none of the production comes from the US. (Some ore is supplied by the US, but it was previously mined, and is shipped overseas for processing.) This is a concern because many military technologies also rely on the use of rare earths. The US has some high-quality deposits that are estimated to hold 13 percent of the global reserves, but much of it is mixed with thorium, which creates a radioactive waste problem that has discouraged their use. Even if we did start mining it, however, we don't have any domestic processing capacity, or any companies that are converting the results into finished products, like magnets.

As a result, several pieces of legislation are pending in Congress, most of which would require the Department of Defense to evaluate whether our supplies are sufficiently diverse to prevent disruptions; some of the bills would take steps to promote domestic production. The report also lays out some additional policy options, such as challenging China's rare earth export restrictions at the WTO. Overall, the report suggests it's not time to panic, but it might be time to get a bit concerned, and plan accordingly.

The US has some high-quality deposits that are estimated to hold 13 percent of the global reserves, but much of it is mixed with thorium, which creates a radioactive waste problem that has discouraged their use.

There was an article in this week's C&E news about this very issue. Apparently, Molycorp's huge rare-earth metals Mountain pass mine is being re-opened in response to China's mandate for a 72% decrease in REM exports by the end of 2010. Yes, that's a 72% decrease to 28% of its former value, not a decrease to 72%.

The US has some high-quality deposits that are estimated to hold 13 percent of the global reserves, but much of it is mixed with thorium, which creates a radioactive waste problem that has discouraged their use.

GAH! Reading this statement hurts.

There are 20 million Americans unemployed. Does "Obama" think they care about "radiation" vs putting food on the table and a roof over their kids head?

If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?

Didn't the author ask himself WHY all the production comes from China despite there being big deposits in the US? The usefulness of these metals has long been known. However extracting them is so incredibly polluting that even the US has imposed heavy regulations - which is saying a lot considering the general lax attitude towards things like mountain top removal mining. China has generally been less concerned with that sort of thing - but even they have started to regulate.

There are 20 million Americans unemployed. Does "Obama" think they care about "radiation" vs putting food on the table and a roof over their kids head?

If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?

The US has some high-quality deposits that are estimated to hold 13 percent of the global reserves, but much of it is mixed with thorium, which creates a radioactive waste problem that has discouraged their use.

Its true that only recently the US is starting to realize the need for domestic supplies of rare earth. Magnets are one of the items listed that use the most in their production.

However, there is one aspect of the report that failed to mention the other steps the DoD and other agencies are taking to alleviate our dependence on REE's. While increasing are production capabilities is one option, another step (that I was surprised the report failed to mention) was the development of alternatives to REE's primarily in bulk permanent magnets. The DoE (and small sections of the DoD) are currently beginning preliminary research to develop new, equally powerful permanent magnet materials using elements other than rare earths. There is much promise in this research (I currently work on one such project).

If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?

CDickens12 wrote:

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"IntelPatriot wrote:If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?"

IntelPatriot - Well, I don't think an one of us would complain about you specifically working at one of these mines and using your property to dispose of the waste.

Wait? You wouldn't want that? Not in "your" back yard.

That's what I figured. Very few people in any country would say differently than that.

As for as putting the waste in mines in barrels for our children's children and so forth can deal with it. What a **** if you care so little for your family and their decedents to want to create a ticking time bomb for them. Which is comparable to what our government (99% pre-Obama) did and our doing with our nation's economy and deficits.

If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?

CDickens12 wrote:

``If they would rather die,'' said Scrooge, ``they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. Besides -- excuse me -- I don't know that.''

Awesome response! Also, as a practical matter, no corporation wants lawsuits 20 years done the road, by workers claiming they were not properly informed of the risks.

This situation is not news. It is so old that it was subject to DoD intervention during the Reagan years. It is hard to build all those whiz-bang weapons of mass destruction without those REEs. I think IntelPatriot is right! If the same fools that continue to smoke and abuse other drugs want to further shorten and degrade their lives working in a thorium-laced environment will do it for the money, then I think IntelPatriot should do so.

Another alternative is to try to cook some of this stuff in a reactor, nuclear type. I remember the "good ole days" when we were going to cook all this kind of stuff in a fission reactor. No need for Unobtainium or a trip to Pandora

Besides, why shouldn't China try to create an artificial shortage and drive up the price of their in-demand product. I think building their business model on OPEC is a fine business strategy. As to eco-destruction in China and that country's concern for the well-being of its citizens, how about melamine-laced milk, anyone?

It takes a lot of work and skill to get to the point where you can handle thorium mining.

We probably should have seen this coming. The U.S. got distracted with raiding and meanwhile, Chinese farmers have pretty much blocked access to the supply of rich thorium veins on their continent. So now they can pretty much set the price at the AH and the U.S. will have to go through shady grey markets and cough up big time to get the mats necessary for the crafted gear that it needs to keep raiding.

If the U.S. wants to put a stop to that, it's going to have to take a break and do some grinding of its own to get its mining skill up to at least 230, and preferably 255, so that it can safely mine the veins in its own territory. It's annoying, but sometimes it has to be done.

It takes a lot of work and skill to get to the point where you can handle thorium mining.

We probably should have seen this coming. The U.S. got distracted with raiding and meanwhile, Chinese farmers have taken control of the rich thorium veins. So now they can pretty much set the price at the AH and the U.S. will have to go through shady grey markets and cough up big time to get the mats necessary for the crafted gear that it needs to keep raiding.

If the U.S. wants to put a stop to that, it's going to have to take a break and do some grinding of its own to get its mining skill up to at least 230; preferably 255. It's annoying, but sometimes it has to be done.

This is what happens when laissez-faire free-market folks get to run everything.

Free markets have their place but that place isn't everywhere. The U.S. has no only lost materials, such as this article discusses, but critical manufacturing skills. Both parties are culpable here but it seems to have been pushed harder under Republican administrations.

This is what happens when laissez-faire free-market folks get to run everything.

Free markets have their place but that place isn't everywhere. The U.S. has no only lost materials, such as this article discusses, but critical manufacturing skills. Both parties are culpable here but it seems to have been pushed harder under Republican administrations.

Huh? What's laissez-faire about export restrictions?

Wasn't this country founded by smugglers? Why are we worrying about an export restriction? If you have the cash, you'll find someone willing to sell.

Ok, well and good... but what about Indium? Used in flat panel displays there is according to scientific american, only an 18 supply left. Are we going to have 3D holographic displays by then? Oh and lets not forget 19 years of silver, 20 years of mineable gold, and 34 years of Copper. Not that those are important either.

Right now, most of the rare earths are produced in China, but the country has been limiting exports of late, and its domestic demand is expected to outstrip its production sometime in 2012

Well, that settles it. The world will end as a result of a severe drop in magnet production, resulting in a lack in the supply of electric guitar pickups and that will be the day the music dies.

Looks like the Mayans were right.

No, the world will end because we have taken all the magnets out of the planet! This is what will cause the magnetic field to reverse, which will in turn cause the core to reverse its rotation, so the crust will "break off."

The US has some high-quality deposits that are estimated to hold 13 percent of the global reserves, but much of it is mixed with thorium, which creates a radioactive waste problem that has discouraged their use.

GAH! Reading this statement hurts.

There are 20 million Americans unemployed. Does "Obama" think they care about "radiation" vs putting food on the table and a roof over their kids head?

If someone wants to work in the Thorium mines what business does big government have standing in their way? And we have 2 million Americans in prison; shouldn't they be doing something useful rather than leeching taxpayers money?

"Obama"? Why the quotes? You think Obama is not his real name? Heard a lot of conspiracy theories, but not that one. Wow!

Seriously though dude, if you honestly believe that a good solution to the problem would be the effective mass extermination of two million of your fellow countrymen then it makes you a strange "patriot".